Port Camargue
Port Camargue is the place to be when staying at Le Grau du Roi. A marina of international renown, it is so pleasant to walk along the quays, admire the boats and let yourself be caught up by the sound of the clanging masts. Its 5,000 boats moored there each year, including 2,760 in public harbours and 2,240 in marinas, make it Europe's leading marina and the second largest in the world behind San Diego in the USA. The port covers 172 hectares and 10 km of pontoons and quays.
PORT CAMARGUE THE AVANT-GARDE
At the beginning of the 1960s, a major development project for the Languedoc coast was launched : the RACINE mission. In 1964, the construction and development phase of the Languedoc coast began. The project to have a large tourist, seaside and nautical development in the east of the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, in the Gard Department, was not originally planned by the Racine Mission. However, the existence of a dike to protect the bay from silting up and the availability of an original space that could accommodate a large port were the triggers for the project. What was called ``Port Espiguette`` at the beginning of the Racine project became ``Port Camargue``.
Le Grau du Roi seized the opportunity to create an XXL marina that would become an international reference in the nautical industry.
LIKE AN AIR OF FLORIDA
The architect Jean Balladur was inspired by what he had seen in Florida. He designed a port of call but also a place to live. The marinas, villas on the water, are oriented towards the sea and the garages have been replaced by pontoons : you moor your boat in front of your terrace and the sea is omnipresent. A unique lifestyle on the water.
3 seventies sites labelled ``20th century heritage`` are to be discovered while strolling along the quays :
The harbour master's office : Built in 1973, the harbour master's office, with its verticality, is a landmark that can be identified by all sailors and can be recognized among thousands.
The island of marinas Les Camarguaises: With their curved facades, Les Camarguaises are a representative example of a marina, typical of Port Camargue.
The urban ensemble of the Quai d'Honneur: Le Suffren, Le Grand Pavois, Les Jardins du Port and Le Grand Galion with their ``S`` shape, the fish-shaped concrete mesh loggias and their seven entrances decorated with a sculpted stone wall, form a timeless ensemble.
A GREEN PORT: PORT CAMARGUE IS COMMITTED TO A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH
Since 1998, Port Camargue has always been a forerunner in waste and pollution management. Certified ISO 14001, the environment is a priority : monitoring of rainwater or diffuse pollution to eliminate oil slicks (absorbent pads and booms....), monitoring of the quality of the port's water, development of soft traffic (pedestrian lanes, cycle paths, free provision of bicycles for yachtsmen on stopover), awareness-raising of yachtsmen during pontoon meetings and of yachting professionals to improve waste and pollution sorting, because 160 tonnes of waste are treated every year ! Careening water, bilge water, waste oil, rags... each waste has its own sorting bin.
